AG Fitch Brings “One Pill Can Kill” Campaign to University of Southern Mississippi

Fri, 11/03/2023 - 04:40pm

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch today announced the “One Pill Can Kill” partnership with The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), a public awareness campaign to educate, support, and empower Mississippians about the dangers associated with fentanyl and the resources available to save lives. Click here to access the media kit. 

“With counterfeit pills becoming increasingly common in Mississippi, it is vital that we pool our energy and resources to fight back,” said General Lynn Fitch. “I am grateful for the University of Southern Mississippi’s willingness to partner with my office to educate, support, and empower the University community with information on the dangers of fentanyl, how to identify it, and what to do if a student or friend is overdosing.”

The One Pill Can Kill initiative is one half of a two-prong approach to fighting fentanyl. As part of the initiative, the Attorney General’s Office will distribute Fentanyl Harm Prevention Kits - which include two Fentanyl test trips, a safe drug disposal bag, and a pill identification card that identifies whether the drug is legitimate - to colleges and universities, law enforcement centers, community mental health centers, and other community groups. In addition, General Fitch unveiled the AGO Fentanyl Strike Force, a concerted effort to train and organize law enforcement officers and prosecutors across the state to safely and effectively investigate and prosecute fentanyl cases.

Joining General Fitch at the announcement were USM President Dr. Joseph S. Paul, Dr. Melissa Roberts, M.D., executive director of USM’s Moffitt Health Center, and Melanie Blanton, health education coordinator with the Moffitt Health Center. 

“We appreciate the work being done through the One Pill Can Kill campaign, and today, we stand with Attorney General Lynn Fitch in her efforts educate and protect Mississippians,” Dr. Paul said. “Together, we can take action to educate, support and empower others in this noble fight.” 

As part of the partnership with USM, the Attorney General's Office will distribute more than 1,000 Fentanyl Harm Prevention Kits to students at various overdose awareness events in the months ahead, including sessions to train students on how to use Naloxone (known by its brand name, Narcan), a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications.

In addition to the initiative announced by General Fitch, Dr. Roberts also shared that Overdose Emergency Kits have been installed in campus housing as part of the grant awarded to USM’s Moffitt Health Center by the Jimmy A. Payne Foundation. These kits contain CPR masks, Narcan and written and voice instructions on how to administer the Narcan.  

USM has already distributed approximately 300 boxes of Narcan from the Mississippi Department of Health Pharmacy to members of the university’s faculty and staff and to Residence Life Assistants (RAs). Other students will have the opportunity to get Narcan after being trained in the coming weeks. 

“By having Narcan readily available in our dorms and in the hands of trained students, faculty and staff, we equip our community with the tools to respond swiftly and effectively to an overdose,” said Dr. Roberts. “This simple yet powerful measure can mean the difference between life and death.”  

Furthermore, in the upcoming weeks Emergency Overdose Kits, including the life-saving medication, will be placed in common campus buildings and athletics facilities.

“The commitment to this initiative goes beyond the current semester and year; it is an ongoing mission,” said Blanton. “We will persist in educating and training all members of the university community, ensuring they are well-versed in Narcan, its application, and the broader issues surrounding abuse and overdose.” 

General Fitch concluded, “One pill is all it takes to kill, and we have lost too many of our loved ones. Let’s beat this fentanyl crisis together, Mississippi.” 

Learn more about One Pill Can Kill or request a Fentanyl Harm Prevention Kit by email.